Exterior prostheses in the form of arm and leg prostheses are known in the art. They are made particularly from metals and/or carbon or other plastics and fibre materials. However, these materials do not lend themselves especially well to being worn when showering or pursuing water sports, because water, and particularly salt water, can attack and damage the very valuable, expensive materials of the prosthesis. Therefore, it is known to use “bathing prostheses”. These are made from plastics, but they do not have the advantages of the valuable metal or carbon prostheses, either with regard to wearing comfort or handling, the person who is wearing the bathing prosthesis can take a shower with it on or use it to walk to a body of water for recreation. It can even be worn for brief periods in the water, to cool down. But the disadvantage remains in that it usually must be removed for swimming and left on the bank at the point of entry into the water. In this context, the further problem arises in that in the case of rocky shores or unsupervised beaches, this is often not possible. Moreover, as the person in question removes the prosthesis, his handicap becomes evident to third parties and accordingly draws irritating attention to him. Since the design of such bathing prostheses usually is relatively unsophisticated, the prosthetic-wearing person is also prevented from getting to bodies of water that can only be reached by walking over rocks, stones and paths, because such routes usually do not offer a secure purchase.
Tubes are also known that are made from thin material and may be tightened on one side with a rubber drawstring or similar. In order to be able to adapt these to the anatomical shape of the person wearing the prosthesis or plaster cast, underpressure is created inside the tube. A valve and pumping bulb are provided in the skin of the tube for this purpose or another kind of device for producing an underpressure. Such a solution for sealing casts is especially known from AT 61218 E or from products of the company Dry Corp., LLC under the name Dry Pro™. Alternatively, it is known to use heat to fit it closely to the body of the person wearing the prosthesis or cast in the manner of a shrink tube. In either of these cases, the result is not very appealing. Moreover, if a valve with pumping bulb is provides, the problem arises that the valve may be damaged or opened during use later, and the sealing effect will be lost. In addition, swimming in bodies of water is rendered awkward because of the excessive amount of material. The short service life of these tubes or shrink tubes represents a further problem, since they can become damaged and start to leak very easily. In case of breakdown or malfunction of the valve or damage of the tube, respectively, an excessive amount of water will penetrate into the inner of the tube within a very short time. Moreover, the shrink tube variant can only be used once, and takes a great deal of effort to remove afterwards. This variant is thus a disposable product which is difficult to take off after use.
DE 41 25 635 A1 discloses a cover for a femoral or shank prosthesis and a method for producing the same wherein the cover is made of an elastic material with a closely tight surface such that the cover is watertight and water absorption is prevented. The cover is tube-like with a shape adapted to the limbs to be replaced. It can be fastened to the respective parts of the prosthesis with its both opening portions spaced from one another. Thus, only the prosthesis is watertightly sealed such that in principal some kind of bathing prosthesis is provided on the basis of a regular prosthesis. The transition from the upper prosthesis edge to the skin of the person wearing the prosthesis is, however, not watertight or protected against the penetration of water into the inside the cover or the prosthesis, respectively, such that water can penetrate into the same. Without the outside sealing the material of the cover is not watertight but will absorb water, since here a regular textile is pulled over the prosthesis and is sealed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,453A discloses a prosthesis cover of a watertight latex material which closely conforms to the shape of the limb being covered. On the inner surface the cover has an anti-friction inner surface. Further, the cover has an anti-skid sole in the case of a leg cover. The anti-skid surface is provided with a plurality of inwardly directed ribs formed on the inner surface of the leg portion of the cover, the plurality of ribs being spaced apart from each other with each rib extending concentrically of the leg portion. The plurality of ribs extends from just above an ankle portion throughout the height of the leg portion to just an upper segment to space the cover from the prosthesis and to thereby reduce the frictional engagement when the cover is being applied by sliding over the prosthesis. At the outside the cover has finger loops for enabling the pulling on and off which finger loops will negatively affect the aesthetic of the cover and cannot provide the impression of a human skin.
The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the problems mentioned with regard to the known protective devices and to create a device to replace both the bathing prosthesis and vacuum or shrink tubes as well as the above mentioned protective devices which enables the wearer to shower and swim safely, and to participate fully in beach life actively and without attracting undue attention, wherein the penetration of water and foreign bodies, respectively, like sand, dirt, dust, into the inside of the protective device can securely be prevented.